Employees Exposed To Flour Dust | Kangs Health And Safety Solicitors
A bakery based in Scarborough, Coopland & Son Ltd (‘the company’), was recently fined at Leeds Magistrates’ Court for safety breaches which resulted in employees suffering extended exposure to flour dust, which is a respiratory sensitizer and can cause asthma.
The Circumstances | Kangs Health and Safety Team
- Between 2002 and 2016 employees’ health was consistently put at risk due to the working conditions, with some workers being diagnosed as suffering from occupational asthma as a result of their exposure to the flour dust.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that no effective method of control to prevent the flour dust becoming airborne had been implemented in the work place.
- The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £159,080 and ordered to pay costs of £4,594.
Following the hearing the investigating HSE Inspector commented:
‘Exposure to flour dust in an industrial setting can cause serous and debilitating health effects. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.
Employers’ Responsibilities | Kangs Health and Safety Advisory Solicitors
An employer has a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of all employees and other people who might be affected through the course of business.
- Employers have duties under health and safety law to continuously assess risks in the workplace. These assessments should address all risk that can cause harm and action should be taken to mitigate any such risks.
How Can We Help? | Kangs Health and Safety Solicitors
We defend clients on a regular basis facing a wide variety of prosecutions resulting from injury and, sadly, occasionally death, to employees falling at work, being injured by heavy machinery or through the use of factory equipment.
Who Can I Contact? | Kangs Criminal Defence Solicitors
Please feel free to contact our team through any of the solicitors named below who will be happy to provide you with some initial advice. We have offices located nationwide in London, Birmingham and Manchester. We will promptly arrange a meeting with you in order to discuss your position.
Hamraj Kang
hkang@kangssolicitors.co.uk
07976 258 171 | 020 7936 6396 | 0121 449 9888
John Veale
jveale@kangssolicitors.co.uk
0121 449 9888 | 020 7936 6396
Sukhdip Randhawa
srandhawa@kangssolicitors.co.uk
0121 449 9888 | 020 7936 6396
Tim Thompson
tthompson@kangssolicitors.co.uk
020 7936 6396 | 0121 449 9888
